On June 14, 2004, the United States Supreme Court decided a sexual harassment case that has consequences for nearly every employer, regardless of industry. <br>What the Supreme Court did in <i>Pennsylvania State Police v. Suders</i>, however, was to unequivocally establish that Title VII applies when employees are forced to quit for unlawful reasons (constructive discharges) and that the degree of a supervisor's involvement in a hostile environment may be all that stands between strict liability and a trial over whether the employer had effective policies and procedures to address harassment.
Scott F. CooperJulie E. ReidOn June 14, 2004, the United States Supreme Court decided a sexual harassment case that has consequences for nearly every employer, regardless of industry.
Pennsylvania State Police v. Suders, 2004 U.S. LEXIS 4176 (2004), snuck through the appellate courts without attracting much attention because it appeared to present a limited technical question concerning the scope of an affirmative defense for supervisor conduct in hostile environment cases.
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